uncle richard

so here i am at 1:45am still awake (barely) having just completed a multi-hour crazy fun hangout session with my roomie and his uncle. my roomie's uncle richard is so, so fun. He's the kind of person who has stories and stories and stories. He's clearly a kindred spirt...maybe it is because he grew up in st. louis like me, maybe it is because he reminds me of people in my family, maybe it is because he is a foodie and understands what a real tomato is, and takes years to perfect a recipe. Maybe it is because he is someone who has clearly lived his life to the fullest, clearly treasures his existence and eeks out all the pleasure he can from every morsel of life he's been given. He's the kind of person I aspire to be. Someone who has stories, who knows where he's come from, who knows where he's been, who can entertain a stranger for hours and speak with clarity and knowledge on endless topics, who can quote a variety of sources intelligently, and speak about struggles in a way that is not complaining, but highlights the amazing strength it took to overcome, to keep going.

I know what a real tomato is, and how to savor it. I know how to cook okra and cornbread and blackeyed peas. I know how to cherish a 12 course french meal, and to appreciate the gift of tasting food, not just consuming it. I enjoy cheesy movies as well as opera and theater, and can highlight the good qualities of each. I take pleasure in classic literature as well as modern fiction and can kick back with some comic books. I love to see the world for what it has to offer, for what I can learn, for what I can do to be of benefit to others.

While I've only known uncle Richard for a few hours, I see the best of what I can be. I see so many of my good qualities reflected, I see so many of my good qualities amplified. I can only hope that when I am his age, I am as gregarious, generous, and kind as he is.